In Distress
by Of-Ravens-And-Writing-Desks
Summary: "Why did she always have to be the one to get captured? She supposed the answer was simple, really. It was because she was absolute rubbish at rescues." Featuring the Pink and Yellow Girl, Bob the badger-toad, and everyone's favorite Timelord. COMPLETE


A/N: I bet I own Doctor Who in one of the other Universes, but in this one, sadly, no.

Done for fanfic 100 prompt #6, Hours

This story takes place mid-season two (I love season two, everyone's so happy and not stuck in parallel universes), somewhere before Love and Monsters. Enjoy!

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><p>Why did she always have to be the one to get captured? She supposed the answer was simple, really. It was because she was absolute rubbish at rescues.<p>

Rose Tyler mulled over that for a bit, then blew a strand of hair out of her eyes and leaned against the one of the damp walls that constituted her current prison. She sighed dramatically. "You know, this is all one massive misunderstanding." The guard, which looked something like a cross between a badger and a toad, merely grunted in reply. "No, really!" Rose continued, crossing her cell to stand by the bars the badger-toad was leaning against. "I'm not even from around here! I didn't even know that she was the queen!" she huffed. "In a few minutes the Doctor is going to come running down that tunnel, or something, and bust me out of here. So you're the one who's really in trouble." The guard grunted again, a disbelieving sound. "So you," she said, pressing her finger into the guard's shoulder, "should just let me go and save yourself the trouble of having to deal with the Doctor."

She crossed the cell and sat down on the tiny bench she had been supplied with, folding her arms expectantly. "Go on then." The creature (He? She?) glanced over its shoulder at the blonde, fixing her with a firm stare. "So that's a 'no' on setting me free then?" She could swear it smirked, shaking its head a little before turning back to its original position. "Can't say I didn't warn you," she said with a shrug, leaning back against the wall, "he should be here any minute now."

Ten minutes later she was pacing. 'Not to worry.' she told herself. 'He'll be here soon."

An hour later she was not so confident. "What do you think Bob?" (Since the badger-toad-guard-thing hadn't supplied her with a name, or said anything at all, she had taken to calling it Bob.) "Am I kidding myself? I mean, he's nine hundred years old! I'm barely twenty! That can't possibly work out, right?"

For the last hour, Rose had related every detail of her travels with the Doctor to Badger Bob. Not that she had gotten any response out of him besides grunts and the occasional nod, but it was nice to be able to tell someone. Even it that someone was a six foot tall walking, (and she assumed) talking, badger-toad. She sighed, leaning against the bars. "Still, there's just something about us, yeah? We just... work, you know? We fit, like pieces of a puzzle." She blew a stray hair out of her eyes, focusing on her prison guard. "So what about you, Bob?" she prompted, leaning towards him. "You got someone special?" Bob grunted, making Rose roll her eyes. "You won't tell me?" She placed her hand over her heart in mock-offence. "After all the moments we've shared?" At this, Bob actually cracked a smile. Rose's eyes widened in surprise. "There we go! Here I was thinking you didn't like me!" She turned to sit down on her bench, smiling as she went. Bob just rumbled amusedly in response. "You should be glad you have me and not the Doctor down here with you," she stated from her bench, twiddling her thumbs as she spoke. "He would of given you much more trouble, sonic-ing everything and making a fuss. Plus, I'm rubbish at rescues, so you would be stuck with him for a very, very long time." Not that the Doctor was doing the best rescuing job. Actually, she hadn't even heard the tell-tale explosions that usually signaled the Doctor's arrival. She sighed, leaning against the wall and shutting her eyes. As long as she was down there, she might as well rest up a bit. Relinquishing to the fact that there was no place to get comfortable in the cell, she curled up on the bench, letting her mind drift.

How long had it been since she had last seen him? At least two hours, maybe more. 'His time sense could really come in handy right now.' she thought, rubbing her eyes. Or a watch. Or really anything that could help her get out of the cell. 'Now what would the Doctor do?' She sat up and glanced around the cell. Her cell was tiny, a six by six foot space that was barely tall enough for her to stand up straight in. The only things inside that space were her bench and a small pile of what appeared to be straw in the corner. All the useful objects outside of her cell were too far to reach, plus she had Bob guarding her. Things looked bleak, to say the least. She sighed, tilting her head back again. She hoped the Doctor would get there soon, she was hungry. "Wake me up when he gets here, yeah? Fanks." She was drifting off to sleep when she heard it. The first explosion. Her Doctor was on his way. She smiled.

In a little while, they were running as fast as their legs could carry them, away from what appeared to be the entire royal guard, except Badger Bob. Badger Bob was probably still in the dungeons, nursing the golf-ball sized lump on the back of his head. Rose had warned him. Just as she felt like her legs were about to give out, she spotted the Tardis, sitting right where they'd left her. She could just kiss that blue box, but there was no time for that, as the Doctor hurriedly unlocked the door and they both scampered inside. They promptly fell into a heap, sucking in great gulps of air. "Worst. Rescue. Ever." Rose managed between breaths, keeping her eyes closed.

"Aw, I wouldn't say that." The Doctor was already recovered, springing to his feet and offering her his hand. She grabbed it graciously and he hauled her to her feet.

"Next time, you can get captured, and I'll do the rescuing."

He grinned at her, and then turned to the console, already flipping switches. "Is that so?"

She rolled her eyes and moved to stand next to him. "I mean, what took you so long? I was down there for ages. Hours and hours, Doctor. You're losing your touch."

He snorted. "Rose Tyler, I will never lose my touch. I am a brilliant rescuer. Or did you not see me today?"

"Oh I saw you alright. I saw you accidentally knock out Badger Bob while you were trying to climb over a stack of crates. He'll be right pissed when he wakes up. It's insulting really, knocking someone out on accident."

"Badger Bob?"

"My guard."

"You're guard's name was Badger Bob?"

"Well, I sort of gave him the name, because he wouldn't talk."

He stared at her for a second before a giggle escaped his lips.

"What?"

"You named one of the Cyrronak High Guard 'Badger Bob.'"

With that they were both giggling like mad and grinning like idiots. With a smile still on her face, Rose wrapped her arms around the Doctor, burying her face into his chest. "Thank you for rescuing me."

The Timelord smiled and rested his chin on top of her head, returning her embrace. "It's good to have you back." They lingered there for a moment before the Doctor released her and clapped his hands together. "Well," he began, throwing another switch, "Off we go, then." The Tardis lurched, hurdling into the time vortex.

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><p>Love it? Hate it? This is my first story with the Tenth Doctor in it with the Tenth Doctor <em>actually<em> in it. I wanted to get a better handle on the character before I went and mucked up his dialouge, but I'm actually quite proud of this one.

Thanks in advance for all your kind reviews! (Or, less tactfully, push the button. DO IT.)

-ORAWD


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